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AIR

McCoy on Movies: AIR: Courting a Legend

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“Man, I’m telling you – one day we will sign and then end our business relationship with a rapper from Chicago and both moves will be great for business!” Howard White (Chris Tucker, pictured) discusses the basketball shoe game with Sonny Vaccaro (Matt Damon) in a scene from AIR: Courting a Legend. Credit: Ana Carballosa © Amazon Content Services LLC.

WATCH THE TRAILER HERE: 
DIRECTOR: Ben Affleck

KEY CAST MEMBERS: Matt Damon, Ben Affleck, Chris Tucker, Jason Bateman, Chris Messina, Matthew Maher, Viola Davis with Marlon Wayans and Matthew Maher

 

 

THE BACK STORY: Long before Nike was the worldwide leader in all things athletic apparel, the Beaverton, Ore. based company was known for running shoes … And not much else. For in the basketball shoe market, Adidas was king with Converse running a close second. In 1984, the era of Reaganomics, revolutionary technology, sitcoms and the explosion of pop music icons, third place meant being last to the point that if something didn’t change, Nike CEO Phil Knight (Ben Affleck) was faced with the prospect of shutting down his company’s basketball division altogether.
Sonny Vaccaro (Matt Damon), however, believed there was one athlete that could change the company’s fate if they could just get him to sign with the company. Who was that man? None other than the man who would eventually go on to be known as “His Airness” – and in the eyes of meany, the greatest competitive athlete of all time, Michael Jeffrey Jordan (played by Damian Delano Young).
Problem is, everybody knows that Jordan is not going to sign with Nike. His intentions are to sign with German-based Adidas despite the loss of its founder and namesake Adolf Dassler. And not only does Jordan’s agent David Falk (Chris Messina) know it, so does Nike Basketball exec Howard White (Chris Tucker), Head of Basketball Marketing Rob Strasser (Jason Bateman), Jordan’s former USA Basketball coach George Raveling (Marlon Wayans) and Jordan’s mother, Deloris (Viola Davis).
But since he’s a gambling man and believes that Jordan is the future of not only Nike, but basketball itself, Vaccaro isn’t ready to take “no” for an answer, what is about to transpire is going to change the sneaker industry forever … As long as he can find a way to get Jordan to sign on the dotted line …
THE REVIEW: Ask any dedicated sneakerhead what is the most important sneaker of all-time is and the odds are beyond good that it will be one with the famous “Jumpman” logo. For as AIR illustrates in great, gripping detail, one man can in fact change the world – and the efforts Vaccaro and company went through to get him is as an American story as sneakers are an industry.
With an all-star ensemble cast, you’d expect each actor in AIR to, much like a basketball team itself, play their positions well en route to trying to achieve their championship aspirations. AIR‘s squad does so on an all-star level from start to finish, each role meaning something no matter how big or small it may be.
Whereas Damon’s Vaccaro is the point guard keeping everything moving and functioning, Tucker comes in with flash and scores in bunches when he uses his charisma and quick wit. As shark-like agent David Falk, Messina’s interactions with Damon’s character likewise play out like intense one-on-one scrimmages.
Affleck’s portrayal of Knight captures all of the Nike head man’s famous (alleged) quirks expertly with Bateman coming in to play the veteran teammate that tries to keep things calm but knows he can’t stop Damon’s character from doing what he’s going to do, so he’s willing to sacrifice to do what’s best for all involved. Add in Davis’ strong performance as Jordan’s mother and the cast is a delight to watch.
Kudos must also be given, however, to the painstaking detail with which Affleck crafts AIR. Every 80s homage – from the fashion and music to the technology involved (remember when having a car phone was a big deal?) serves to enhance the film’s aesthetic as much as its storytelling. In re-creating that world so well, it really showcases the 80s entrepreneurial spirit that was so crucial to Nike’s growth so well in addition to setting up all the dominos that would fall following its historic deal.
In short, those looking for a great film with equal parts of comedy and drama, inspiration and inspired storytelling, AIR is worth lacing up your sneakers for and heading to the theater this spring.
OVERALL RATING (OUT OF FOUR POSSIBLE BUCKETS OF POPCORN):
 

 

 

 

 

Reinventing The Telling of Stories – A New Interactive Website About Dayton Wants Your Input

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POSTCARDIn the Spring of 2012, Emmy-winning, Oscar nominated filmmakers Julia Reichert and Steve Bognar, along with about 15 other media artists, hit the streets of Dayton asking the question, “How is Dayton doing?” Engaging subjects in thoughtful interviews and creating compelling, non-fiction stories is nothing new for Reichert and Bognar – but it turns out that this project was much more difficult than anticipated.

“This was a really ambitious project,” said Bognar. “We were attempting to take the pulse of the whole city. And we did not know what the answers would be.”

After identifying a handful of focus neighborhoods, the group—which was a collaboration with WYSO 91.3 FM— split into teams. They began to find and interview people who were in the process of reinventing themselves. In addition, the group documented over 35 events throughout the city. After weeks and months of sifting through hundreds of hours of material (not to mention a whole different language of web design), the resulting efforts can now be seen on an interactive website – ReinventionStories.Org.

Upon logging on the site, the first thing you’ll see is a beautifully animated introduction featuring a vintage postcard of the city and various soundbytes from numerous interviews. This introduction leads into an 18-minute documentary featuring 7 individuals from various neighborhoods. Using a combination of still photography, audio interviews and video footage, users get a sense for who these people are and how they are in the process of reinventing themselves. Each piece ends with a sort of cliffhanger. This 18-minute piece is merely Act One of three. In the coming weeks, each of the seven characters’ stories will continue in Act Two and Three. Reichert says that as the stories unfold, more dramatic material will reveal itself. She said, “These stories fit together to tell a bigger story about the city. We wanted to capture our City’s life and diversity and to show that we’re not all that far from each other. We’re all in this together.”

7 StoriesThe 7 subjects of the documentary on ReinventionStories.org.

Those ideas are conveyed even more as we “Drive the Road.” This section of the website takes the viewer down East 3rd Street. The voice of Carol Coffey, teller of one of the stories, asks: “ What signs of life do you see in Dayton?” While passing storefronts and houses, a series of bubbles appear that allow the user to watch short stories about events from over the summer, prompting the viewer to think about that question. One story is about the Dayton Gay Men’s Chorus, another is about the Blessing of the Bikes, another, the World Soccer Tournament, sponsored by Welcome Dayton.

The storytellers want us to think about the fabric of the city…that all these very different events are happening in the same town.

In a third section of the site, the user is asked questions like “Where do you see signs of life in Dayton?” or “What city event do you most look forward to each year?” Once answered, the responses are broadcast via twitter. @ReinventDayton

In addition to new sections of the documentary, the coming months will see more coverage of events while “Driving Down the Road” and additional questions posed to users. The team also noted that “treasures have yet to be unveiled.”

The website went live in late February, but the idea is to let the website become a living, breathing site that will reveal more elements in time. The interactive part will rely on users to keep it fresh and alive. By April, Daytonians can upload their own stories of reinvention.

NEENAH JULIA STEVENeenah Ellis of WYSO and filmmakers Steve Bognar & Julia Reichert.

This project came about when WYSO director Neenah Ellis approached Reichert and Bognar regarding a national competition called LOCALORE – a new initiative of the Association of Independents in Radio (AIR), in collaboration with Zeega (a group of people who want to push non-fiction storytelling into unchartered territory*). Hundreds of organizations applied for the competition – only 10 were selected.

Bognar said he had so much fun running around the city over the summer. He noted that there was so much to do and that events were all always well attended. “When we started, we weren’t really sure how the city was doing. But luckily for the project and for the community, a corner was turning as we hit the streets. People were taking risks, opening new businesses, forming groups,and we caught the wave.” Reichert added, “A year later, we can answer with certainty. Yes. The city is very much alive and growing.

 

*AUTHOR’S BONUS NOTE FOR CINEASTES – Bognar told me that Zeega is named after Dziga Vertov – director of the masterpiece MAN WITH A MOVIE CAMERA. This is a great treat for film lovers. Vertov’s films and theories influenced the cinema verite movement…which pushed “non-fiction storytelling into unchartered territory.”